Everyday Magic
by Jet Wolf
Summary: The bond between Rei and Chibi-Usa through the years is its own kind of magic.


**Standard disclaimer:** The characters aren't mine. This should come as no surprise. I am simply a teller of stories that occasionally claw their way desperately out of my head.

**Notes:** Rei's birthday brought in Rei Birthday 'Fic Day over on my Tumblr. This fourth entry (more to come at a later date! There are some excellent prompts pending) asked for ""Everyday Magic" with Chibi-Usa and Aunt Rei".

_(17 April 2014)_

* * *

**Everyday Magic**

She was never afraid of fire, and that was something Rei always loved about Chibi-Usa. Their first night together, when Serenity needed a break and Rei immediately volunteered for babysitting duty, Chibi-Usa had been fussy. Desperate and out of options, Rei had created a small fireball to hover over the crib, well out of the way of inquisitive little hands. Chibi-Usa had quieted instantly and looked at Rei with such awe and wonder that Rei has been moved to tears. Though her psychic powers, significantly grown and refined over a thousand years, she felt the infant's question.

"Magic," Rei had answered, and spent the rest of the night making shadows and telling stories and delighting in every squeal and giggle.

**... ... ...**

"There are monsters!"

Chibi-Usa insisted her room was full of them. Rei knew better. Not that monsters weren't real (they were very real), but the palace was the safest place on the entire planet, and that was a claim Rei knew to be factually true. But Chibi-Usa was almost two and didn't care about state of the art defense systems and guard rotations.

Rei gave Chibi-Usa her own stack of miniature ofuda. "When you feel a monster, these will protect you."

Chibi-Usa held them in her hands and sat up a little straighter. They felt powerful, and should, since Rei had created each one with the same care and focus that she used for her own weapons.

An answer wasn't really needed, because she already believed it was true, but Chibi-Usa asked anyway. "How can paper stop monsters?"

"Magic," Rei replied, ruffling her hair.

**... ... ...**

Usagi didn't know how to help Chibi-Usa deal with the anger. Hotaru was gone, Pluto was gone, and Chibi-Usa was so furious. Usagi went to Rei, and of course Rei came. She found Chibi-Usa in her attic room, glaring out the window at a sunset that dared to be beautiful and understood everything.

Chibi-Usa didn't look over as Rei laid on the bed next to her.

"It's okay that you're angry," Rei said, "and I won't tell you to stop. But they'll come back to you."

Chibi-Usa's chin remained in her hands, but she turned to look at Rei. "How do you know?"

The words held more hope than anger, and Rei knew she'd be okay. She smiled, relieved not for the first time for the glimpses of her mother Chibi-Usa would never admit to revealing.

Rei nudged Chibi-Usa with her shoulder and tapped herself on the temple. "Magic," she said.

**... ... ...**

Rei cracked open an eye at the loud growl of frustration that had shattered her peaceful meditation.

"She's impossible!" Usa yelled, and Rei sighed. Did no one in the family know how to knock? Usa stomped through Rei's apartments, broadcasting her every intent to stay until her grievances were aired.

Sometimes it was a real pain, these glimpses of her mother in Usa.

Rei easily rolled to her feet and left the fire behind. In the living room, Usa was marching back and forth, complaining at a decibel that was very nearly excessive. Rei had a fine long history of knowing exactly where that line was.

Upon seeing Rei leaning her hip against the doorframe, Usa ran over. "She won't let me go, Aunt Rei! It's an awesome trip and EVERYONE'S going, and they'll be bonding and having fun for a whole week while I'm stuck here! We're supposed to be a team! What kind of team leader has to get her mother's permission first?"

One of those, then. A "my baby's growing up!" crisis. Endymion being away at a conference for another two weeks would only be making Serenity feel worse, too. Oh this would be fun. Rei made a mental note to change into a top she didn't mind being tear-soaked.

"I'll talk to her," Rei said, and Usa's face lit up. "Go start packing, but DON'T leave until I give the okay, got it?"

Usa bounced happily and laid a big smacking kiss on Rei's cheek before running for the door. "You're the best, Aunt Rei! I don't know how you do it!"

"Magic!" Rei yelled at Usa's retreating pink pigtails. "And practice," she added.

**... ... ...**

Rei found her in one of the gardens. She hadn't appeared on any of the sensors, and that was puzzling and more than a little aggravating, but a mystery that could wait for a better time. Rei whispered into her communicator that Usa was safe, then turned it off to avoid any other questions. The others would run interference with Serenity and take care of the Quartet for a little while. Usa obviously needed some time first. She approached the bench, but didn't sit.

"Hi," Rei said, ready to leave if it looked like she wasn't wanted.

Usa looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "Hey," she replied in a croaky voice.

Rei took it as an invitation. She sat next to Usa but said nothing and made no effort to touch her. Rei waited in patient silence.

After some time, Usa broke the silence. "We didn't save them all," she confessed. She didn't look up. Shame kept Usa's eyes firmly on the dirt path under her feet.

"Yeah," Rei replied, and her heart broke a little move as Usa's tears began to soak into the ground.

"We weren't fast enough." Usa curled her hands into fists and drove them into her thighs. "We weren't good enough, and now people are dead!"

Again and again Usa's fists pounded her legs until Rei couldn't stand any more. She gathered the sobbing young woman into her arms and cradled her head as she rocked her back and forth. She made calming, soothing sounds as they rode out the first wave of Usa's grief together. It didn't last long. The sobs subsided and Usa pulled back, but still kept her hand clenched around Rei's.

"I guess the girls are a mess too, huh?" Usa said, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand.

"They've been better," Rei admitted.

Usa drew in a long, shaky breath, held it, then let it out slowly. "We got here as a team, we'll face it as a team."

Rei wasn't sure she'd ever in her life felt more proud of Usa than she did in that moment.

With a final squeeze, Usa released Rei's hand and got to her feet. "You always make me feel better, Aunt Rei. How do you do that?"

Rei had used her years well to create the ultimate superior smile. The sorrow in her eyes didn't quite sell it, but all in all, she thought it was a fine effort.

"Magic," Rei said, and followed Usa out of the garden.

**... ... ...**

Usa knelt before the Sacred Fire. She'd never been able to meditate before, and felt kind of silly that she thought now would be any different. It wasn't for lack of desire. She'd tried to learn several times over the centuries, but never seemed to have the knack for it. Aunt Rei had blamed it on her mother's short attention span genes.

Meditation wouldn't come, and neither did peace, but still Usa stubbornly pursued both in the flames.

She heard the rustle and low voices behind her. Her Senshi didn't understand, but they stayed anyway. Usa felt tears prick behind her eyes at how right that felt, given the circumstances.

Another try, Usa decided, and had just shifted to a more comfortable position when the flames roared in the pit. Startled, Usa's eyes snapped open as her Senshi surged forward, but just as suddenly the flames were sucked back down and then vanished. Only a thin wisp of smoke remained, then that, too, dissipated.

"What the hell was that?" one of her Senshi said. Usa wasn't sure which. It seemed like they were talking from miles away.

"Aunt Rei … " Usa whispered, or maybe she only thought she did.

Someone was barking orders, preparing for an attack or about to send out search parties or something equally pointless.

"Stop," she said. She'd meant it to sound like a command. It came out like a plea. Swallowing hard, Usa tried to sound like the queen she was. "Sailor Mars is dead."

It wasn't necessary to see her Senshi to imagine their expressions. That was bad enough. Usa didn't want to see them, so she didn't look.

"How … How do you know?"

Usa looked into the impossibly cold remains of a fire that had burned for longer than even she'd been alive. What could she say?

"Magic."


End file.
